---
product_id: 10757421
title: "Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster"
price: "€ 72.64"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 9
url: https://www.desertcart.com.cy/products/10757421-deluxe-how-luxury-lost-its-luster
store_origin: CY
region: Cyprus
---

# Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster

**Price:** € 72.64
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster
- **How much does it cost?** € 72.64 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.cy](https://www.desertcart.com.cy/products/10757421-deluxe-how-luxury-lost-its-luster)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster [Thomas, Dana] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster

Review: Relevant to today! - I thought this book was a very eye opening read about the luxury industry that explores all aspects from it's origin, the counterfeit industry and the corruption. A must read for anyone who has an interest in the industry!
Review: A Devastating Look at the McLuxury Trade - By exposing the deteriorating quality and mass marketing of many so-called luxury goods, Dana Thomas has driven home a truth--if EVERYBODY has it, no matter how much it costs it's no longer a luxury item. Today, the malls are jammed with women of every economic strata proudly brandishing (mostly fake and a few real) LV bags. They are logo soldiers in LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault's LV army. Though it's usually easy to spot the fakes (as of this writing on fake LV's, the LV' is not upside down on the reverse) the bags are so ubiquitous that it hardly matters anymore. Hermes is one of the few large companies that still gets it right. Smaller leather goods makers and perfumers such as Valextra and Lorenzo Villoresi continue to carry the torch. One complaint is that many of these smaller companies were not mentioned in the book. Superb quality and true luxury will always be there if you know where to look. For some, luxury still means exclusivity; as Thomas points out, wealthy cognescenti will continue to quietly raise the bar by seeking out rare items of exquisite quality, leaving the "mass affluents" behind in logo purgatory. Of course, the hoi polloi will be giddily buying "luxury" bags that the upper crusties wouldn't be caught dead with. There is some justice in all this. With all her vast wealth and power, Delphine Arnault cannot carry an exquisite, handmade Hermes bag,(at least not in public.) Poor thing! She's stuck with her daddy's lackluster, "McLuxury" brands. UPDATE: Although he has denied it, it is clear that Bernard Arnault is lining up his ducks for an eventual takeover of Hermes. So far, the family has been able to block him from taking a majority stake. I hope that this never happens. I bought my first Hermes bag in 1983. I still carry and love it. Thanks to M. Claude of Hermes in New York, It is as beautiful now as the day that I bought it. I can't bear to think of Hermes in Arnaut's grip. E company should remain in family hands. I deduct one star for the numerous typos: this is UNFORGIVABLE in a book about the decline of quality.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #48,890 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #7 in Fashion & Textile Business #52 in Fashion History #78 in Fashion Design |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (639) |
| Dimensions  | 5.47 x 0.83 x 8.35 inches |
| Edition  | Reprint |
| ISBN-10  | 0143113704 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0143113706 |
| Item Weight  | 12 ounces |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 384 pages |
| Publication date  | July 29, 2008 |
| Publisher  | Penguin Books |

## Images

![Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71F4t57xMlL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Relevant to today!
*by T***. on June 11, 2025*

I thought this book was a very eye opening read about the luxury industry that explores all aspects from it's origin, the counterfeit industry and the corruption. A must read for anyone who has an interest in the industry!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Devastating Look at the McLuxury Trade
*by L***S on November 16, 2007*

By exposing the deteriorating quality and mass marketing of many so-called luxury goods, Dana Thomas has driven home a truth--if EVERYBODY has it, no matter how much it costs it's no longer a luxury item. Today, the malls are jammed with women of every economic strata proudly brandishing (mostly fake and a few real) LV bags. They are logo soldiers in LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault's LV army. Though it's usually easy to spot the fakes (as of this writing on fake LV's, the LV' is not upside down on the reverse) the bags are so ubiquitous that it hardly matters anymore. Hermes is one of the few large companies that still gets it right. Smaller leather goods makers and perfumers such as Valextra and Lorenzo Villoresi continue to carry the torch. One complaint is that many of these smaller companies were not mentioned in the book. Superb quality and true luxury will always be there if you know where to look. For some, luxury still means exclusivity; as Thomas points out, wealthy cognescenti will continue to quietly raise the bar by seeking out rare items of exquisite quality, leaving the "mass affluents" behind in logo purgatory. Of course, the hoi polloi will be giddily buying "luxury" bags that the upper crusties wouldn't be caught dead with. There is some justice in all this. With all her vast wealth and power, Delphine Arnault cannot carry an exquisite, handmade Hermes bag,(at least not in public.) Poor thing! She's stuck with her daddy's lackluster, "McLuxury" brands. UPDATE: Although he has denied it, it is clear that Bernard Arnault is lining up his ducks for an eventual takeover of Hermes. So far, the family has been able to block him from taking a majority stake. I hope that this never happens. I bought my first Hermes bag in 1983. I still carry and love it. Thanks to M. Claude of Hermes in New York, It is as beautiful now as the day that I bought it. I can't bear to think of Hermes in Arnaut's grip. E company should remain in family hands. I deduct one star for the numerous typos: this is UNFORGIVABLE in a book about the decline of quality.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Methodically researched/ Beautifully written
*by E***D on August 24, 2007*

Full Disclosure: I write about fashion, entertainment and celebrities for a living and have known Dana Thomas for a decade or more. I knew she was working on a book about luxury (yawn) and for the past three years, she was always exhausted, trotting off to China, Milan, Grasse or Lake Como, sometimes popping into my hood in Hollywood, constantly doing research for the book. But frankly, I'm not a big designer brand buyer and would sooner plunk $400 on a Pottery Barn couch than a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes. So I never imagined how engrossed i would be by this book. In fact, I was shocked. Dana makes this elitist world come alive by putting luxury in a historical context (Caesar wore only silk togas and the Senate was POed at the expense!) and taking the reader with her on a personal journey behind the scenes and around the world, to find out the sad truth about the decline of the luxury goods industry. It's utterly fascinating and engrossing. And it's funny! Dana has a wicked snse of humor and pulls no punches in describing the decadent denizens of the "Deluxe" world. Even if you know nothing about fashion, couldn't tell a Gucci bag from a Prada purse, and don't own a single designer knockoff product, this book will fascinate, educate and entertain. Plus any book that can make me put down the last Harry Potter - in the middle! - has to be some kind of good read.

## Frequently Bought Together

- Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster
- Fashionopolis: Why What We Wear Matters
- Gods and Kings: The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.com.cy/products/10757421-deluxe-how-luxury-lost-its-luster](https://www.desertcart.com.cy/products/10757421-deluxe-how-luxury-lost-its-luster)

---

*Product available on Desertcart Cyprus*
*Store origin: CY*
*Last updated: 2026-03-11*